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THE CALIFORNIA 



Silk Growers' Manual, 




Ly IV. B. EWER, A. M. 



ITBI.ISHF.D rNDF.K niKECTION OF THK 



CALIFORNIA SILK CULTURE ASSOCIATION. 



BY 

DEWEY & CO., 
Office of the "Pacific Rural Press 
SAN FRAN Cisco. 
1882. 




THE 



Cj^LiFOE^isrij^ 



Silk Growers^ Manual 



By 11'. B. EWER, A. iM. 







PUBLISHED UNHER DlkECTIOX OF THE 



CALIFORNIA SILK CULTURE ASSOCIAL 



UEWEY & CO., 

Office of the "Padjrc Rural Press, 

SAX FRANCiSCO. 

1882. 







PREFATORY NOTE. 



This manual has been prepared at the request of 
ilie California "Silk Culture Association," and is 
published for the purpose of encouraging Home Silk 
( ulture in California. It is believed that any per- 
son, by aid of the instruction given in these pages, 
will be able, without any further assistance, to plant 
and cultivate the mulberry tree , hatch and feed the 
worms, and prepare the cocoons for reeling or a 
market. 

The proof is abundant that California can pvo- 
ducetlie very fmest silk; for it has already been done. 
'I'lie superiority of our climate and soil for that busi- 
ness is acknowledged by every silk expert from Europe 
who has visited California. 

'J'he CaUfornia Silk Culture .Association has been 
untiring in its efforts during the past two years to es- 
tablish ^his great industry upon a permanent basis, by 
collecting and disseminating information on the sub- 
ject, well knowing that former attempts have failed 
mainly through an insufikient k)iowledge on tlie 
part of those who engaged in the w'ork. With 
proper knowledge and a reasonable degree of in- 
dustry and care there need be no failure; and the 



failures of the past afford no good room for dis- 
couragement. 

All who wish well to the future interests of the 
State should encourage and assist in this good work. 
With proper efforts it is believed that the silk in- 
dustry might be made one of the leading industries 
of the State, and a great boon and rich blessing to 
all our people. 

The author acknowledges his indebtedness in the 
preparation of these pages both to Mrs. T. H. Hittell, 
personally, and to the "Silk Growers' Instructor," 
prepared by her, and published in 1881. He has 
ventured upon the work himself only because Mrs. 
Hittell, in her present feeble state of health, has not 
been able to revise her own work. He is also in- 
debted to the assistance of many others, who have 
had more or less experience in the business, here 
and elsewhere, and who have been consulted either 
personally or by letter. That the good work, so 
happily initiated by the ladies of this Association, 
may be carried on to a termination useful and profit- 
able to the State, is the sincere wish of 

THE AUTHOR. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Silk culture, which has done so much for 
Europe, has now become an established in- 
dustry in several of the States of the Ameri- 
can Union; but in no State are the condi- 
tions more favorable for its future growth 
than in California. Its success here is'cer- 
tain. 

In Europe the production of raw silk gives 
profitable employment to millions of people, 
while the subsequent manufacture of the 
raw material into thread, ribbons, dress 
goods, etc., forms one of the most important 
of home industries. The most prosperous 
nations there have wisely fostered this indus- 
try by national aid and by royal example. 
In France the raising of the silk worm, the 
formmg and care of the cocoon, and the reel- 
ing of the silk is made an important part of 
the education of the children in nearly all 
the schools, convents and academies. Edu- 
cators in the United States will also do well 
to turn their attention to this subject, and, 
especially here in California, it might be so 
applied as to furnish a practical solution of 
the perplexing question: "What shall we 
do with our girls and boys?" Silk culture is 
peculiarly adapted for the employment of 
children and women ; and in no State in the 
Union are we so much troubled to find em- 
ployment for that portion of our population 
as here. We have a large and rapidly in- 
creasing proportion of juveniles, and fully 
nine out of ten, both in city and country, 
3ieed and desire to find some honorable em- 



ployment during their minority. The neces- 
sity for meeting this demand is already im- 
perative, and our present inability to do so 
is one of the most embarrassing problems 
which we now have to face. 

To meet this emergency there appears to 
be no better plan than the one proposed by 
the California Silk Culture Association — the 
general introduction of silk culture here in 
all its branches ; and it is a matter of no 
small congratulation that so many of the 
able, earnest and philanthropic ladies of 
San Francisco have stepped to the front to 
inaugurate this work. The success of this 
Association has already been great. Quite 
too much has been done to be even briefly 
reviewed here. We have no speculative 
purpose in our work. Our work is purely a 
labor of love. Its purpose is to encourage 
silk culture among the farmers and residents 
of our towns and cities until it shall become 
one of the chief industries of California, 
rivaling in its golden results even the gather- 
ing of the precious treasure from our hill- 
sides, our rivers and our placers. The Gov- 
ernor of the State stands at the head of our 
Advisory Board, and our ranks are made up 
from all classes of the people. The wise, 
the wealthy, the patriotic, the influential, the 
earnest, and the hard-working men and 
women of city and country have joined hands 
in this endeavor to open up a new industry, 
which will add to our commercial prosperity 
as a State, increase the individual wealth of 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



the masses, and greatly multiply the mani- 
fold blessings which local industries ever 
carry to the homes of a people. 

Amid the mass of correspondence which 
our endeavors have elicited,, asking for in- 
formation in regard to the ways and means 
for establishing cocooneries, and the proba- 
bilities of success in efforts at silk culture in 
this State, perhaps none has been more im- 
portant than a letter recently received from 
the California Emigrant Aid Society, which 
was referred to a special committee for 
answer. Your committee, having carefully 
considered the information sought, begs 
leave to report as follows : 

ADAPTABILITY OF CALIFORNIA FOR SILK 
CULTURE. 

Sufficient has already been done in Cali- 
fornia, by a few individuals, to prove that 
this State possesses peculiar advantages for 
success in all branches of the silk business, 
from the rearing of the worms to the manu- 
facture of silk in every form in .which it 
comes from the reel or the loom. 

As early as 1861, the late Mr. Prevost, of 
San Jose, commenced raising the silk worm 
and producing cocoons, some of which were 
sent to Lyons and Paris. From both cities 
certificates were received pronouncing them 
of superior quality, both for reeling and in 
the character of the raw silk which they 
yielded. California cocoons were sent to 
the Centennial exposition at Philadelphia, in 
1876, which, for size and beauty, attracted 
universal attention. Mrs. Keeney, of San 
Rafael, who has been experimenting in this 
direction for many years, sent some cocoons 
to the Smithsonian Institute, which were 
pronounced, by Prof. Henry, superior to any 
specimens which had been sent there from 
other countries, numerous lots of which had 
been received as samples. 

Not only cocoons, but eggs also have 
been successfully sent to Europe. As eariy 
as 1865 or 1866, Mr. Prevost sent silkworm 
eggs of his raising to France, which were pro- 
nounced, by good judges, superior to those 
which silk growers there were then just be- 
ginning to receive from Japan, and for sev- 
eral years he had orders for more than ten 



times the amount he could supply. At one 
time he received an order for one hundred 
pounds, when he had only a few ounces to 
spare. In 1878 or 1879, Mr. J. A. Garbarina, 
of Jackson, Amador county, sent one hun- 
dred ounces of eggs raised by him to dif- 
ferent places in Italy. As an evidence that 
they arrived in good condition and were 
healthy, he received orders begging him to 
save all the eggs he could raise and forward 
them the next season. These facts are 
quite sufficient to prove that we have in 
this a most lucrative business, upon which 
this State might enter with but little more 
capital than is found in the active brain and 
willing muscle of our farmers' wives and 
daughters. Let them now commence experi- 
menting on a small scale, under the patron- 
age and instructions of this Society, and 
within three years they will be able to realize 
a handsome profit from the costless venture. 

Rjight here we may remark that it should 
be more generally known among our people 
that, for some reason not yet known, healthy 
eggs cannot be raised in Europe. Hence, 
for the past ten or fifteen years, silk growers 
there have depended on Japan for their an- 
nual supply of that product — the Japanese 
eggs being shipped to Europe Tia San Fran- 
cisco and the Pacific railroad. California 
ought and might easily secure this business* 
which is already worth several millions per 
annum, and constantly increasing in import- 
ance. The business is, moreover, a very 
profitable one. 

This Society has also recently received 
several certificates from Drs. Behr and 
Harkness, of this city, certifying to the un- 
exceptional character of several lots of eggs 
of last season's California production. They 
were subjected to a careful microscopical 
examination, and were pronounced perfectly 
free from any trace of disease or any evi- 
dence of having been attacked by any dis- 
ease, from which it would appear that Cali- 
fornia is not retrograding in the character of 
this product. 

Mrs. Sellers, who resides near Antioch, in 
Contra Costa county, has been successfully 
raising silkworms for several years. She 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



has now a mulberry grove of three thousand 
trees, which are remarkably healthy, and 
every season loaded with leaves and berries. 
Several other persons, among whom maybe 
mentioned Mr. Gillet and Prof. Muller, of 
Nevada City; Mr. Larca, of San Mateo; 
Mr. Prince, near Angel's Camp; Mr. Gar- 
barino, of Calaveras, and others are meeting 
with equal success. 

SOIL AND CLIMATE. 

The above facts and e.xperiments prove 
tliac this business may be successfully prose- 
cuted, not only throughout the great valleys 
of this State, but well up into the foothills 
and quite near the coast as well. The mul- 
berry will grow almost anj'where in Cali- 
fornia; but, to meet with the best success, a 
rich, light, loamy soil is required. The 
ground should be plowed deep and well pul- 
Aerized, so as to allow the rootlets to freely 
permeate the soil. If on a side-hill, a south- 
ern exposure should be selected. Among 
the most important advantages met with 
liere is our freedom from thunder and light- 
ning, and from rains during the feeding 
season ; as feeding with wet leaves is almost 
sure death to the worms, and the jar from 
thunder, or some peculiar electric disturb- 
ance attending thunder storms, is often at- 
tended with fatal consequences to them, 
especially if it occur during the molting 
season. 

VARIETIES OF THE MULIJERRV TREE. 

There are many varieties of the mulberry, 
but only four are considered especially suit- 
able for silk culture — the Moms alba the 
Mo7'tis rose, the M07-71S japonica and the 
MorusniulticatiUs. Of these, the first named 
is considered the best. The latter is the 
most productive in foliage, and is, perhaps, 
preferable in the early stages of the leaf for 
feeding during the first age of the worm. 
But a more healthy maturity and better silk 
is obtained by feeding the Alba, after the 
first age. 

J'ROPAGATING AND CULITVATING THE TREE. 

The mulberry may be propagated either 
from seed or from cuttings, like the grape- 
vine. The latter is preferable. The cuttings 
should be from ten to twelve inches in length. 



Place them in the ground in rows. One end 
of the cutting should be set three or four 
inches deeper than the other. The upper 
end, which should also be the topmost end 
of the cutting itself, should be barely covered 
with soil. If it is left out of the ground, or 
exposed to the atmosphere, the hot sun and 
dry air of this climate is liable to dry it up, 
and thus prevent it from taking root. The 
rows should be set five or six feet apart. 

A sufficient quantity of leaves can be ob- 
tained from a dozen cuttings, one year old, 
for feeding a few worms by way of experi- 
ment. In trimming, the custom in Europe 
is, for the first few days' feeding, to strip the 
tender leaves from the branches, and, in the 
later feeding, to cut the smaller shoots 
from the main branches and feed the leaves as 
they are thus attached. A considerable por- 
tion of the larger branches are suffered to 
remain, being simply stripped of their leaves 
and smaller branchlets during the season for 
feeding the worms. After the worms have 
commenced spinning, new leaves will form, 
and the mulberry orchard will soon be 
clothed a second time with a dense mass of 
foliage. When this crop of leaves has ar- 
rived at maturity a thorough process of prun- 
ing is commenced, by cutting off all the new 
wood within two or three inches of the main 
stem or stump. These branches ai'e cut as 
wanted, and fed to cattle, which eat the 
leaves and small twigs most voraciously; 
and this is considered equal to the best 
fodder obtainable, especially for cows. It 
will be seen from the above that the foliage 
of the trees is kept constantly within easy 
reach, and that they are managed and grow 
much like the grapevine, with the only dif- 
ference that the limbs of the mulberry grow 
more erect, branching off and upward from 
the main stem, instead of trailing like the 
vine. The product of this last trimming 
may, if desirable, be laid aside and separated 
into cuttings for further propagation. In 
stripping leaves from branches, the hand 
should always be moved upward along the 
limb, from the main trunk or branch to the 
tip. Otherwise the dormant buds would be 
injured. 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



FOR MERE EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES 

Only a few hundred worms are needed, and 
but little preparation will be required after 
arrangements have been made to secure a 
supply of leaves. A part of a small room, 
with one or two tables or some short boards 
properly placed, is all that will be needed. 
The worms can be handled and separated 
or moved from place to place, to thin them 
out as they increase in size, or to clean the | 
tables, by merely raising them up on the • 
branches which may be placed before them 
for feeding. All this will be more fully ex- 
plained when we come to speak of the co- 
coonery proper. 

THE FEErMNG ROOM, OR COCOONERY. 

For a more extensive feeding — say from one 
hundred to one hundred and twenty thousand 
worms — a regular cocoonery should be fitted 
up, something as follows: A room 20x16 
feet in area will be needed, and ten or eleven 
feet high. Such a room, if not new, should 
be carefully cleaned and whitewashed, and 
so guarded that neither insects or mice can 
invade it. Great cleanliness should always 
be observed about a cocoonery. All foul 
odors should be avoided. The fumes from 
tobacco should not beallowedonthepremises. 
The room should have windows on opposite 
sides to secure good ventilation. In an es- 
pecially hot climate it should be carefully 
shaded by trees or canvas. The entrance 
should be from the north. Windows and 
doors should be protected from the invasion 
of mosc|uitoes, yellow jackets, spiders, bats, 
etc., with nets. If a special building is con- 
structed for a cocoonery, it would be well to 
let it rest upon posts several inches fiom the 
ground, and a circle of tar should be put upon 
the posts to intercept the approach of insects, 
as is sometimes clone with trees, for a similar 
purpose. If a room in the house is used, 
posts which support the shelves should rest 
in basins of water, to protect the worms from 
ants. Care must also be taken to keep mice 
and birds away. 

FITTING UP THE COCOONERY. 

The worms should be fed upon shelves, 
which may extend entirely around the room, 
leaving a space for an entrance only. To 



economize room, the central space may also 
be fitted up with shelves. The wall shelves 
should be about three feet deep, with a space 
of about two and a half feet between them. 
The center shelves may be foin- feet or more 
in depth, as the worms upon them may be 
attended to from either side. This arrange- 
ment will give a series of four shelves in 
hight, and leave an alley-way three feet in 
width all around the room between the wall 
and center shelves. The upper shelves will 
have to be reached by the aid of a stool to 
stand upon ; but they will be needed only 
during the last age of the worms. 

For experimental purposes a few shallow 
pasteboard or wooden boxes of suitable size, 
laid upon tables, will be very convenient for 
feeding. If tables are used, they should have 
a small strip of wood fastened to the edge to 
keep the worms from falling off. The same 
precautions should be used on the shelves in 
the cocoonery. 

HATCHING IHE i;GGS. 

The eggs should be brought out for hatch- 
ing as soon as the mulberry leaves have at- 
tained sufficient size for feeding, and while 
they are yet juicy and tender. They should 
be brought out in the evening from the cool 
place where they have been stored and im- 
mersed in cold water over night. In the morn- 
ing they may be easily scraped with a dull case 
knife from the cloth upon which they have 
been laid, and to which they have been at- 
tached by the mother miller. Care should 
be taken in thus removing not to injure 
tliem. After being removed from the cloth 
they may be again placed in water, when the 
good eggs will sink to the bottom, while the 
poor ones and the dissolved gum may be 
poured off. The eggs should then be drained 
and dried, spread thinly upon convenient 
sheets of clean white paper and placed in a 
warm room to hatch. It is better that the 
temperature of the room into which they are 
introduced for hatching should be graduated, 
so that the change from cold to warm may 
not be too sudden. The eggs will hatch out 
in a temperature of seventy-eight to eighty 
degrees in from three to four days. When 
the worms begin to appear, spread over them 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



a coarse mosquito netting, to be hereafter 
described. The worms will soon leave the 
paper on which they have been hatched and 
crawl through the meshes in the netting to 
the surface of the same in search of food. 
^Vhen the morning's hatch has crawled 
through, the mosquito frame should be 
removed to the feeding place. Each day's 
hatch should be marked, kept and fed by it- 
self. This is especially important where the 
feeding is on a large scale. The importance 
of this will become apparent when the reader 
is informed in regard to the molting of the 
worms, which will be described further on. 
In hatching only a portion of the eggs should 
be exposed at first, as thus, in case of acci- 
dent, the supply would not be entirely lost. 
This caution should be especially heeded by 
beginners. It should be borne in mind that 
the eggs which hatch the soonest produce 
the most healthy worms. The cocoons from 
these should always be selected for produc- 
ing eggs again. Such worms also produce 
the best and heaviest cocoons. Worms 
which come out after the fourth day are 
scarcely worth feeding. 

FEEDING THE WORMS. 

The larger portion of the worms come out 
between five and seven o'clock in the morn- 
ing. A few very tender leaves should be 
scattered upon the netting placed to receive 
them, not immediately, but very soon after 
they appear, else they will wander away. 
They will never leave if food is placed near 
them. As already intimated, young and 
tender leaves only should be fed to the young 
worms, and the more mature leaves to the 
older ones, as the latter contain a larger pro- 
portion of the solid and nutritious food which 
is needed for forming the silk-producing ma- 
terial, which is gradually stored up in the 
body of the worm until the time arrives for 
spinning the cocoon. The first leaves fed 
should be carefully cut up into small pieces 
about the size of a ten-cent piece — they may 
be cut in bunches with a sharp knife. This 
is, in part, to enable the tiny worms to better 
get hold of their food, and also to enable the 
feeder to scatter the food more evenly among 
the worms. 



Special care should be taken not to feed 
the worms upon the red-colored leaves taken 
from the very young shoots, as the nutri- 
ment in such leaves is not sufficiently ma- 
tured, and, if eaten, will often cause the 
worms to sicken and sometimes die. 

The feeding for the first five days should 
be very frequent — as often as every two 
hours the first and second day. The inter- 
vals between feeding may then be gradually 
lengthened to three and four hours. In all 
cases, however, judgment should be used. 
The worms should at all times ha\ e a plenty 
of food before them, and it should not be al- 
lowed to get too dry. The worms are not 
usually fed between ten at night and broad 
daylight in the morning. 

It may be remarked, in this connection 
that the time of feeding occupies from 
twenty-five to thirty-five days. This varia- 
tion is due to the care which the worms re- 
ceive, and particularly to the temperature at 
which they have been kept. 

If they are well cared for, and kept in a 
warm, healthy condition and fed often, they 
will eat all the more within a given time, and 
arrive so much the quicker to the season for 
spinning their cocoons. The period for spin- 
ning does not depend so much upon the age 
of the worm as upon the amount of food 
which it has eaten, and that in turn depends 
upon its appetite, and that, again, upon its 
health. It is claimed by most silk culturists 
that the quicker the worm is brought to ma- 
turity the better the silk, the larger the co- 
coon, and the longer the thread. In order 
to reach this end, some give one or two feed- 
ings during the night. Very healthy and ac- 
tive worms will feed at night — requiring but 
little or no rest. Sickly or feeble worms re- 
quire a short interval of rest at night. It is 
simply in accordance with common sense, 
that the more healthy the worm the better 
will be the quality and greater the quantity 
of silk produced, and vice versa. 

CONVENIENCES FOR FEEDING THE WORMS. 

As already intimated, for merely experi- 
mental purposes, but little preparation is 
needed ; but, when it is proposed to fit up a 
cocoonery where a large amount of labor is 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



involved, it will be found a matter of econ- 
omy to have a proper series of feeding frames 
provided, which may be made substantially 
as follows : Nail together four strips of wood 
so as to form a frame, of convenient size for 
handling. Take four of these frames and 
bore holes in each of the sides, so that the 
holes in the first shall be one-fifth of an inch 
apart ; in the second, one-third ; in the third, 
two-thirds, and in the fourth, one inch apart. 
Take stout cotton cord and put it through 
these holes, and you will have a series of net- 
work frames, with four different-sized meshes 
with which to work. In making the frame 
some prefer split cane, such as is used for 
chairs, or fine basket willow instead of cord. 
If twine is used it should be very coarse. 
Common laths firmly nailed together, with 
icks driven into the upper surface, at the 
same intervals as given in the directions for 
boring the holes, so as to allow the cord to 
be passed across the frame and held in 
place by the tacks, is a simpler and 
perhaps, equally as good a way in which 
to construct the feeding frames. The 
mosquito netting, already alluded to, should 
also be put in frames. After the worms 
have become too large to get through 
the mosquito netting, use the frame with 
smallest meshes, and so on to the largest. 

CLEANING OFF THE SHELVES. 

Before placing the worms upon the shelves 
for feeding, each shelf should be covered 
with paper — common newspapers will answer. 
I)y this arrangement when the frames on 
which the worms, are feeding are lifted up 
the paper may be drawn out by an assist- 
ant, with all the litter, which may be readily 
shaken off and the paper replaced upon the 
shelf. By this means the worms will not be 
seriously disturbed, while the shelves may 
be kept clean and sweet. The shelves should 
be cleaned off twice between each molting- 
This is very essential. 

Some prefer to dispense altogether with 
the frames. In this process, when the 
worms are first placed on the netting or 
paper to feed, a few tender leaves are scat- 
tered about for the first two days' feeding. 
-After that the leaves, without being stripped 



from the branches, are carefully placed over 
the worms. They may be longer and 
heavier as the worms increase in size. The 
worms will immediately leave the old and 
crawl up to the new leaves. The branches 
should be laid on, carefully crossing each 
other, so as not to pack. When it is desir- 
able to clean off the litter, the branches on 
which worms are feeding should be care- 
fully lifted up, while an assistant removes 
the litter as directed in the use of the frames. 
THINNING OUT. 

As the worms increase in age and size 
they will gradually require more and more 
space for feeding. This will be readily in- 
ferred when thereader reflects thatthe feeding 
process continues about thirty days, and 
that at the end of the fourth day the worm 
is only one-quarter of an inch long, while at 
the thirtieth, or when it is ready to spin its 
cocoon, it is fully four and a half inches long, 
and proportionally large of body. 

The worms will require increased space 
the second day, and so on. To secure this, 
when a new frame with fresh leaves has been 
placed over the worms, as soon as, say, half the 
worms have come through, remove that 
frame to a new place and immediately place 
another frame, with fresh leaves, to receive 
the balance of the worms as they come up. 
If necessary, three frames may thus be used 
in succession. 

CAREFUL FEEDING AND CLEANLINESS IM- 
PORTANT. 

It has already been observed that the 
length and perfection of the thread of the 
cocoon depends largely on the care in feed- 
ing and the cleanliness observed. The fre- 
quency of feeding should be made largely a 
matter of judgment and experience. Care 
should be taken in placing the frames that 
they do not press down so as to confine the 
worms, or keep from them a free circulation 
of air. The frames should lay up lightly 
while the worms are transferring themselves 
from an under to an upper one. It would 
be well to have four or eight legs attached to 
each frame. Wooden pegs or long nails 
driven into the under side answer the pur- 
pose very well. When fed on branches the 



SILK GROWERS' MANLAL. 



9 



worms very quickly mount the twigs to feed 
and enjoy fresh air. If there should be any 
considerable number of ill-fed ones, or those 
who from any cause lag behind, the cocoons 
produced by them will be imperfect, and the 
entire lot will be reduced by the buyer to the 
grade of the imperfect ones. 

Especial care should be observed during 
the last three ages, or from the tenth to the 
thirtieth day of feeding. The consumption 
of food at that time is enormous, as will be 
seen under the head of "Facts and Figures," 
given at the close of this discussion. The 
worms usually consume about their own 
weiglit in leaves daily, except when molting. 

THE MOLTING SEASON. 

The silkworm's life is divided into five 
ages ; at the close of the first, second, third 
and fourth ages it molts, or casts its skin. 
At the the close of the fifth age it forms its 
cocoon. 

The first molting season comes on the 
fourth or fifth day after hatching. The 
worms at that time cease to eat, generally retire 
under a leaf or some litter, attach their hind 
legs to a branch or leaf by means of a gummy 
matter which they exude, and apparently fall 
to sleep. This is called their molting sleep, 
and during its continuance they must not be 
disturbed. At this time, and at each succes- 
sive molting, also when the worms are ready 
to spin the cocoon great care should be 
taken to prevent any cold draft of air from 
striking the worms. It is at this time especi- 
ally that thunder is apt to injure them. One 
great advantage which California possesses 
in the rearing of the silkworm is the absence 
of electrical discharges, wiiich cannot be 
avoided in other silk-growing regions. The 
worm should never be disturbed in any way, 
not even by cleaning or feeding during the 
molting season. After each period of 
molting the worms feed with increased 
greediness. 

The approach of the molting sleep may 
always be known from the fact that some of 
the worms begin to cease feeding and raise 
their heads, swinging them to and fro with a 
waving, uneasy motion. When this is no- 
ticed, fresh leaves should be immediately 



placed before the tardy ones to hurry them 
up, in order that the entire hatching may 
cast their skins as near together as possible. 
This will explain the necessity alluded to 
previously of always keeping each day's 
hatching by itself No food should be given 
to any of the hatch until all are about 
through their season, in order that they may 
have an even start on the next age. After 
each molting the space required for feed- 
ing will generally need to be largely in- 
creased, as will be noticed elsewhere. If 
the young worms appear feeble or with little 
appetite, feed them for a while with very 
tender leaves, as when first hatched. If the 
worms are troubled in molting it is gener- 
ally because improper food has been given 
them, or because the temperature of the co- 
coonery has not been properly attended to. 
WJien the feeder has the time to .spare he 
may often save many worms during the two 
last stages by assisting them, as experience 
will teach. More or less worms always die 
in mohing. All who die at any time should 
be carefully picked oft" and thrown out of the 
room. 




Worm Commencing to Form its Cocoon, 

The temperature of the cocoonery should 
always I)e maintained, as evenly as possible, 
at from seventy-eight to eighty-two degrees, 
F. If it falls below seventy-five degrees it 
must be raised by artificial means. If it ex- 
ceed eighty-four or eighty-five degrees it 
should be reduced by increased ventilation, by 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



sprinkling water on the floor, on the outside 
of the building, or upon the ground around 
the cocoonery. No cocoonery can be suc- 
cessfully managed without a reliable ther- 
mometer. 

Living worms should never be handled 
with the fingers ; when necessary to handle 
them always use a small twig or straw, upon 
which they will quickly crawl. 

FORMING THE COCOON. 

When ready to spin, or form the cocoon, 
which is the eighth or ninth day after its 
fourth molt, the worms cease to eat, become 
restless, empty themselves more freely, be- 
come more transparent, and slightly diminish 
in size. They also begin to give out their 
silk. When these indications are noticed, 
conveniences must be furnished for the pro- 
cess, and, if placed convenient, the worms 
will very soon find them. \'arious devices 
may be used for this purpose, which the in- 
genuity and skill of the intelligent feeder, 
with a little experience, will readily 
discover. If feeding frames, as be- 
fore descrbed, have been employed, 
two of these frames, with spaces 
between sufficient to accommodate 
the worms, may be set up endways 
near the feeding space. The worms 
will soon find them, climb up be- 
tween them, and there form their 
cocoons. Small bunches of straw 
eighteen inches or two feet long may be tied 
together near one end and the other spread 
loosely apart. The worms will find their 
way into the open heads of the bunches and 
there spin. Bundles of small twigs may be 
used in the same way. It may be mentioned 
here that all boards and other wood work 
used about a cocoonery should be thoroughly 
seasoned and free from dampness, pitch or 
any unpleasant smell. 

The cocoon is usually formed in about 
four days, and three more are required for 
the worm to joass into its chrysalis state. 
But the cocoon must not be removed from 
its place short of eight days for reeling or 
killing; while, if required for eggs, it must 
remain for ten or twelve days after the worm 



has gone up to spin. Care should also be 
taken that no two worms should form their 
cocoons too near each other, else they might 
become interwoven, which would render it 
impossible to reel them. 

The loose floss silk by which the twigs, 
straw, etc., may be covered, and which also 
loosely envelops the cocoon, is no part of 
the cocoon proper. Within this structure, 
and easily separated from it, is the real silk 
cocoon, which consists of a continuous 
thread, generally about twelve hundred feet 
long. 

TREATMENT OF COCOONS FOR EGGS. 

At the proper time, as given above, after 
the cocoons have been completed, if wanted 
for eggs, they must be separated from the mate- 
rial to which they are attached, and stowed 
away in shallow boxes in a cool place, of even 
temperature, where the chrysalis may be al- 
lowed to change into the moth. That process 
will occupy from fifteen to twenty days — ac- 




Moths Emerging From Their Cocoons. 

cording to the temperature — from the time the 
worms began to spin. The very best co- 
coons should be carefully selected for eggs — 
those, generally, which are of light color and 
firm consistency — feeling hard to the touch. 
Before being packed away they should be 
carefully stripped of all the light floss with 
which they are loosely enveloped. 

Care should also be taken to select an 
equal number of each sex. ^V male cocoon 
may be readily known by its being slightly 
constricted about the central region, some- 
thing like a peanut. Its extremities are also 
more pointed than those of the female. The 
female cocoon is somewhat egg-shaped and 
quite symmetrical in form, without any con- 
striction whatever about the center. 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



As the time for the appearance of the mil- 
ler approaches, the selected cocoons should 
be brought out and placed on tables or 
shelves in a somewhat darkened room, warm 
but well ventilated, where they should be 
carefully watched until the millers begin to 
appear. Although they have wings, neither 
sex flies ; but the male is more active than 
the female, and is readily known by its 
smaller size and continual flutter of wings. 
The female moves but little either body or 
wings. 

FECUNDATION. 

The moths generally come out of the co- 
coon in the morning, between seven and 
eight o'clock. They should be immediately 
paired or the eggs will not be good. As 
fast as they become paired they should be 
removed by taking them up carefully by 
their wings, and placing them upon white 
paper upon tables or boards, where they 




Fenaale Moth— Natural Size. 

should be left in quiet and darkness, as the 
silk moth is a night insect. In thus remov- 
ing them care should be taken not to hurt 
or separate them. Such as are not paired 
should be placed on a separate sheet of 
paper, when they will soon become mated, 
after which they should be placed with the 
others already paired. Occasionally a male 
among the paired ones gets separated from 
his companion. When this happens he 
should be removed, else he will cause dis- 
turbance and further separations. All those 
that become separated are to be put back 
with the unpaired ones, that they may get 
mated again. The unmated males placed 
in the box are kept for reserve. All the 
balance may be thrown out. The next 
morning the process is repeated the same as 
before with the remaining moths. This 
process is to be kept up from day to day till 



all the moths have emerged from the co- 
coons. After all are paired, they should be 
allowed to remain undisturbed about twenty- 
four hours, when they are to be separated, by 
taking the wings of the male with one hand 
and those of the female with the other, and 
drawing them apart gently, so as not to hurt 
them. After this the males may be cast aside 
and the females placed on pieces of white 
cotton cloth, about twelve by fifteen inches 
in area, where they are to lay their eggs. 

LAYING THE EGGS. 

The females generally begin to lay as 
soon as the separation from the males is 
effected. It is important that the two sexes 
be completely separated. When once the 
females have commenced laying they need 
to be looked after no further. They lay 
from two hundred to three hundred and fifty 
eggs in number. Thisdone, the mission of this 
wondrous insect is ended. As in the moth 
state it does not eat, it soon dies. 

PRESERVING THE EGGS. 

The cloths on which the eggs have been 
deposited should be hung up and allowed to 
so remain for fifteen or twenty days, as there 
is always a greater or less number of bivol- 
tines in every lot of eggs. During this time 
the bivoltines will hatch out and the worms, 
not being fed, will perish, leaving only the 
annuals for the next spring's hatching season ! 
Atter the bivoltines have thus hatched out 
the cloths, with the remaining eggs, may be 
taken down, rolled together carefully and 
placed in tin boxes, with a somewhat loose 
lid, two or more sides of which should 
be well perforated so as not to stifle the eggs 
as they will spoil if kept in air-tight vessels. 
These boxes should be kept in a cool room, 
or in a dry cellar facing north. They should 
be examined occasionally and aired, to see 
that they do not become mildewed from 
dampness. 

WEIGHING THE EGGS. 

To ascertain the weight of the eggs is very 
important, especially if they are intended 
for sale. The muslin on which the moth 
is to deposit the eggs must be carefully pre- 
pared. Each piece must be dried and then 
accurately weighed by itself, and its weight 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



ia Troy grains (apothecaries' weight) must 
be marked upon it. Thus prepared it should 
b2 placed, at the proper time, under the 
moth to receive her eggs. Then, when the 
eggs are laid, each piece should be carefully 
weighed, and its weight distinctly marked as 
before, leaving both weights for inspection 
by the purchaser. The difference between 
the two weights shows the weight of the 

PREPARING THE COCOONS FOR REELING. 

In order to prepare the cocoons for reel- 
ing or for sale the chrysalis must be killed. 
This is commonly done by steam heat. 
In California it may be accomplished by ex- 
posing the cocoons to a hot sun from nine 
to four o'clock for two or three days. A 
longer time is needed if there is much air 
stirring. The examination of a few cocoons 
will determine when the work has been prop- 
erly done. This process should be attended 
to within a week after the spinning is com- 
pleted. It should be remarked that the heat 
of an oven destroys the fine gloss of the silk. 
Sun heat also fades somewhat injures the 
the gloss of the cocoon. 

If it is desirable to retain the natural color 
of the cocoon the sun process should not 
be employed to kill the chrysalis, as the 
color will thereby be faded out to some e.x- 
tent. The chrysalis may be readily killed 
by placing the cocoons in any close vessel 
or box, into which steam may be conducted 
from a tea-kettle or boiler. A common 
wash-boiler might be used by putting a little 
water in the bottom and keeping the cocoons 
a few inches above the water, being careful 
to have the cover closed and kept tight, 
but not so much so as to admit of any ex- 
plosion. 

PREPARING THE COCOONS FOR -MARKEP. 

In preparing the cocoons for market, after 
the chrysalis has been killed, the cocoons 
should be spread out on boards or shelves 
in a well ventilated room to dry. They 
should be frequently stirred or turned over 
for the first three or four days, and after- 
ward occasionally for about two months; 
when they will have become thoroughly 
dried, the reeling process may be com- 



menced, or they may be packed for ship- 
ment or a market. They may be packed 
either in barrels or boxes. In order to guard 
against insects a little pulverized camphor 
gum or other insectifuge should be sprinkled 
over each layer of three or four inches in 
depth. Tobacco stems would probably an- 
swer just as well if freely used, and would 
be much cheaper, as they can be had at the 
cigar factories for carrying away. Care 
should also be taken to guard the cocoons 
against moths, mice, or ants. 

SPACE REQUIRED FOR WORMS. 

The worms from one ounce of eggs — 

about thirty-six thousand — should have a 

space on the shelves : 

In the ist age of lo sq. ft. 

In the 2d age of 20 sq. ft. 

In the 3d age of 50 sq. ft. 

In the 4th age of 125 sq. ft. 

In the 5th age of 225 sq. ft. 

A room eight by twelve feet, with 
three tiers of shelves on three sides, will 
furnish sufficient room for feeding. The 
worms ought not to touch each other at any 
time. 

VARIETIES OF SILKWORMS. 

Domestication has had much to do in the 
production of varieties of the silkworm. The 
same worm transferred to another climate 
changes its character and silk product for 
the better or worse, according to the favor- 
able or unfavorable conditions of its new 
home. 

Some varieties produce one brood a year, 
no matter how the eggs are managed. Such 
are known as Annuals. There is another 
variety known as Bivoltines, which produce 
two broods a year — the first, as with annuals, 
in April or May; the second product may be 
obtained from the first litter of eggs within 
eight or ten days after they are laid. The 
eggs of annuals will not hatch, no matter 
how carefully treated, until the next season. 

There are also Trivoltines, which will pro- 
duce three generations in a year; Quadri- 
voltines, with four generations, and a variety 
known as "Dacey," which, if properly 
treated, may be made to produce eight gen- 
erations in the course of a single year. Some 
varieties also molt but three instead of four 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



1 1 



times a year. This is the case with Trivol- 
tines in warm climates. 

THE ANNUALS liEST. 

Taking- into consideration the size of the 
cocoon, the length of thread, the quality of 
the silk produced, the time occupied, the 
hardiness of the worm, etc., the annuals are 
almost universally considered the most profit- 
able to raise. 

The established varieties of the annuals 
are generally known by the color of the co- 
coons which they produce and the country 
in which they are most especially cultivated. 
The three best known and most marked 
European varieties are known as follows : 

The Milanin (Italian), which produce a 
rine yellow cocoon. 

The Ardeche — pronounced Ardesha — 
which produce a large yellow cocoon. 

The Brouse (Turkish ), which produce a 
white cocoon — generally considered to be 
the very best in quality. 

The latter variety of silk is the most valu- 
able in commerce; but the races which pro- 
duce the colored cocoons are generally con- 
sidered the most healthy. 

THE SILKWORM IN CALIFORNL\ — JAPANESE 
CUNNING. 

The worm now domesticated in this State 
is of the latter class, and is probably a de- 
scendant of the Ardeche, the French variety, 
which was imported to this State about i860 
by Mr. Prevost, of San Jose. Mr. Prevost 
sent, in two successive years, to Japan for 
some eggs with which to commence his ex- 
periments in San Jose. Both these importa- 
tions failed utterly. He never got a single 
worm from them. With a persistency char- 
acteristic of the man, and still resolved to 
prove the theory which he had promulgated 
— that California was pre-eminently calcu- 
lated for silk culture — he sent out his orders 
again, and this time both to Japan and 
to France. The eggs arrived in due time, 
but those from Japan again failed, while his 
French eggs nearly all hatched out. The 
Japanese had shrewdly guessed his object, 
and adopted the plan of sending unfertilized 
eggs as a means of discouraging the attempt 
which they saw was being made in California | 



to wrest from them the profitable business 
of supplying Europe with silkworm eggs. 
The lamented death of Mr. Prevost, a few 
3'ears later, put a check for the time upon 
silk culture, which, had he lived, he would 
in all probability ha\e fairly established in 
this State as soon as the speculative form 
to which his legitimate efforts gave a foot- 
hold had subsided. 

This Society has now taken up the work 
of Mr. Prevost, and, if the spirit of specula- 
tion can be kept out of the way, it will no 
doObt soon succeed in accomplishing the 
end which he so persistently and so patriotic- 
ally sought to attain. 

From a paragraph on page 23 of Mrs- 
Hittell's "California Silk Growers' Instruct- 
or," it appears that Mr. H. Herich, of San 
Francisco, met with about the same experi- 
ence as that related by Mr. Prevost, in get- 
ting silkworm eggs from China, and at about 
the same period of time. 

FACTS AND FIGURES. 

A few facts and figures are subjoined, 
from which almost any question that will be 
likely to come up in regard to silk culture 
may be answered, when the answer cannot 
be found in the foregoing pages. 

The moths eat nothing after leaving the 
cocoons, and die in a few days after deposit- 
ing their eggs. The females lay, on an average, 
about two hundred and sixty eggs. As an ounce 
of eggs numbers from thirty-six thousand 
to forty thousand, it will require about one 
hundred and fifty female moths to produce 
them. It should be remembered, however, 
that, in hatching, many of the eggs will 
fail ; so that thirty-five thousand worms may 
be considered a fair result for an ounce of 
eggs ; and that number of worms will pro- 
duce about one hundred pounds of fresh co- 
coons, averaging about three hundred and fifty 
to the pound. These, when dried, will be re- 
duced to about one-third of the original 
weight, or thirty-three pounds. 

There is a very great difference in the 
weight as well as the quality of cocoons. 
Reports of careful observations made in the 
Atlantic States give the number of fresh co- 
c«ons to the pound all the way from two 



14 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



hundred to four hundred and fifty and even 
five hundred. Female cocoons weigh about 
twenty-five per cent, more than male cocoons. 
The sexes are about equal in number. 

It requires about thirteen pounds of fresh, 
or four and one-third pounds of dry cocoons 
to yield one pound of raw silk. It costs the 
labor of two girls one day to reel a pound of 
raw silk. 1 1 is estimated that the value of the 
waste, in floss, double cocoons, etc., will about 



quarter of ground ought to sustain trees 
enough, when full grown — say the fourth 
year — to produce one thousand pounds of 
fresh cocoons, or about seventy-five pounds 
of raw silk. Five acres will feed worms 
enough to produce four thousand pounds of 
cocoons, or about three hundred pounds of 
raw silk. The labor cost of producing this 
may be estimated substantially as follows : 
One grown person and two boys or girls, 



pay for power, foremanship and interest on first ten days of feeding; two^ grown per- 



machinery for reeling. The cost of reeling in 
France is estimated at $i per pound. 

About eight hundred mulberry trees may 
be cultivated on one acre of ground. They 
should be set out in equidistant rows, dia- 
mond shape. The trees will grow from four 
to five feet high the first year from the cut- 
tings. Each tree will produce about twenty 
leaves for feeding, but no branches. The 
second year branches will be put out and the 
foliage largely increased. The trees should 
be trimmed and trained, as already described 
under the appropriate head. The third year 
it may be counted as a tree, and will yield 
ten or twelve pounds of leaves. It will come 
into full bearing in four or five years. The 
trees will produce two crops of leaves each 
year. In Europe the first is fed to the silk- 
worms and the second furnishes a large sup- 
ply of food for cattle, for which no green 
food is better. The quantity obtained is 
very large. Mulberry leaves would undoubt- 
edly furnish a most excellent material for a 
silo, by which they might be readily kept 
and fed at leisure during the fall and winter 
months. 

It may be premature to estimate the pro- 
fits of silk culture in this State; but the 
writer, having numerous and correct data to 
guide him, ventures upon a few figures in 
that direction, which allow of a most liberal 
margin for discount — the records of numer- 
ous isolated experiments. In making the 
estimates he has been guided largely by the 
experience of a young gentleman who has 
spent some twenty years in practical silk 
culture in Syria and in France. It requires 
about twenty pounds of leaves to produce 
one pound of cocoons. An acre and a 



sons and five boys or girls, second ten 
days ; two grown persons and fourteen 
boys or girls, third ten days ; two grown 
persons and five boys or girls five days to 
gather and pack the cocoons. 

The above foots up seventy days' labor for 
a man and two hundred and sixty days' 
labor for a girl or boy. At $1.50 per day for 
the former and 75 cents for the latter, we 
have a total cost of $300.00. Add, for prun- 
ing and cultivating the trees and the eggs, 
$200, and we ha\e, as the total cost of pro- 
ducing four thousand pounds of cocoons and 
getting them ready for the market, $500.00. 
These cocoons ought to be worth, at a low esti- 
mate, 35 cents per pound, or a total of $1,400. 
If we add one-quarter to the cost and deduct 
one-quarter from the estimated value of the 
result, we shall still have a profit of $425 as 
the return from five acres of land, and the 
oversight of the business for only five or six 
weeks of time during the dullest season of 
the year. How does this compare with the 
most profitable crops which can be taken 
from our farms and orchards, which require 
from four to six months of almost constant 
care and labor to make and gather? 

To realize the above estimates skill and ex- 
perience are required, as no one can expect 
to meet with anything but failure if he starts 
in with a large operation at first. For rea- 
sons readily explained, we have had failures 
in the business heretofore. These failures, 
however, were not the fault of the business, 
but of the methods in conducting it, and, in 
some cases, from accidental circumstances, 
which a little care and forethought or pre- 
vious experience might readily have obvi- 
ated. 



SILK GROWERS' MAMAL 



We should begin the work in a small way. 
Set out a few trees this season, say twenty, 
fifty or one hundred. You will get leaves 
enough by August or September to feed a 
few hundred worms. Next season you may 
feed as many thousand. You will thus be 
gaining experience while your trees are grow- 
ing, and your experiment will not cost you 
anything. If you make a failure you will at 
least learn something and enjoy a pleasure- 
able experience. Trees or cuttings may be 
set out anywhere from December to July. 

CONCLUSION. 

Silk culture is a business which can readily 
be started, and with but little capital. Y'ou 
can make it build itself up by merely putting 
) , in a little work at a time when you have little 
or nothing to do. The children, either girls 
or boys, can do it. The labor required will 
be instructive recreation. It need not inter- 
fere materially, even when conducted on 
quite an extensive scale, with the usual farm- 
ing operations, as it comes between the sea- 
sons of farming proper. 

All that is needed to make silk culture a 
success in California is a little earnest work 
in disseminating the right kind of informa- 
tion to induce our farmers' wives and chil- 
dren to produce the cocoons. This work the 
ladies of the California Silk Culture Associa- 
tion are now engaged in. They are endeav- 
oring to encourage the culture of silk — the 
production of cocoons — among the farmers 
of the State, until it shall become here, as in 
Southern Europe, a great and leading in- 
dustry ; an industry especially important in 
its relation to home employment, to domestic 
comfort, and remunerative beyond any other 
Vv-hich can be engaged in around our fire- 
sides. By introducing the process of reel- 
ing, families and children may therein find 
remunerative employment the year round. 
(' More than any other it will dignify labor in 
^1 our homes, and give employment to those 



of our boys and girls who most need it. 

In order to inspire confidence and ensure 
a market for cocoons a little capital'is needed 
to establish a <:ocoonery and procure a few 
reels with which to start a filiature. We 
have an abundance of skill and experience 
now in this city to do the work, and we have 
a good market for the raw silk at our own 
factories, already in operation in this city, in 
Sacramento and at San Jose, which now im- 
port their silk from Japan at a cost which wil[ 
well repay its production here. 

The silk business is, perhaps, the most 
profitable of all the industries in France or 
Italy. The superior facilities of our climate, 
and the better educated and more apt char- 
acter of labor here, is more th.an an off- 
set for the difference in the cost of labor be- 
tween California and that of other countries. 

The governments of France and Italy 
encourage the industry in various ways. The 
advantages derived from it are freely dwelt 
upon in all their journals, and are continually 
urged by their leading men. The methods 
and practice of silk culture are taught in all 
the schools throughout France, from the 
primary to the grammar grades, in the con- 
vents and in all the high schools. All 
classes have constantly impressed upon 
them its simplicity, its usefulness and its 
necessity. It can be carried — the reeling 
and weaving — into every household, in city 
or country, where there is time to spin and 
weave for employment. There is no other 
industry in the world which can be made so 
generally universal in a community, or for 
which there is so little importance, in the 
matter of economy, that it should be con- 
ducted with large concentrated capital or in 
large establishments. From the feeding of 
the worms to the weaving of braids, ribbons, 
dress goods and the knitting of hosiery, it 
can be conducted C[uite economically in ,a 
family. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



We Ljive annexed a representation of tlie 
silkworm at its work in its natural condition. 
The female moth is seen laying her eggs 
upon a leaf of the mulberry tree. The 
chrysalis from which she has just emerged 



before the fruit of the tree is ripe. After the 
leaves have given off their substance to ma- 
ture the fruit they would not contain the 
proper nourishment for the production of a 
good article of silk. 




is seen near by. A full-grown worm is also I 
shown, just about ready to commence spin- 
ning its cocoon. The manner in which the 
cocoon is attached to the leaf is also shown- 
Although the matured fruit appears while 
this work is going on, it is proper to remark 
that the worm completes its labors and con- 
structs and enters his silken shroud Ions: 



The late exhibitions of silk cullure at 
Atlanta and Philadelphia seem to have 
awakened a new interest in the work through- 
out the Union. The managers and judges 
of the Silk Department at the Atlanta e.xpo- 
sition took especial pains to examine closely 
into the practice and economy of the busi- 
ness as conducted in this country. Their 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



17 



report is highly favorable, both as to its 
practicability and profit. 

The manufacturing portion of the industry 
is already well established. The great need, 
now, is that we should produce our own raw 
silk, for the supply of which many millions 
of dollars are now annually sent out of the 
country. The exhibitions referred to have 
abundantly proved that the production here 
of the very best silk is possible, and those 
who have tried it on a practical scale, at the 
South, have pronounced it profitable. It is 
a branch of American industry which com- 
mends itself to all who desire to see the 
wealth that grows from it retained in our 
own country. It moreover commends it- 
self as an industry especially fitted to a large 
class of American women, who need some 
employment to keep them from being de- 
pendent on others; also to children of both 
sexes, but especially girls, who have need 
to do something with which to help them- 
selves pecuniarily during the period of their 
minority. 

The Atlanta Committee, in the course of 
its report, says: "In no business can 
women be more profitably and respectably 
employed than in the production of silk. 
The draft upon our national resources for 
imported silk has been one of great magni- 
tude. If patriotism and the love of inde- 
pendence are the offspring of America, let 
us unite our efforts, and, by the aid of our 
Legislatures, our Representatives and an in- 
telligent agricultural people, at once encour- 
age, protect and foster the production of 
American silk." 

As an outcome of the Philadelphia exhi- 
bition, the manufacturers of textile fabrics in 
that vicinity have contributed $20,000 for the 
establishment of sericultural schools, or 
filatures, by which a ready market can be 
obtained for cocoons that may be produced 
in that locality. It is only by such enter- 
prise and by such means that this country 
can render itself independent of China and 
Japan, and compete successfully with Eng- 
land, France and Germany in the product of 
silks. 

It is the establishment of schools and 



filatures and a constant reiteration of the 
importance of the business that has placed 
those countries at the head of the silk busi- 
ness, and given them almost exclusive con- 
trol of one of the most important national 
industries of the world. Will not some of 
the wealthy and enterprising capitalists of 
this State make a small venture in the same 
direction, to encourage the movement al- 
ready initiated, to place California in the'list 
of the silk-producing countries? 




The figure given herewith represents a 
half section of a cocoon, with the outer floss 
or loose covering stripped off. The floss 
thus removed is economized by being carded 
and woven up like wool or cotton. The 
same use is also made of what are called 
"pierced cocoons" — those from which the 
moths have been allowed to work their way 
out for purposes of reproduction. It will be 
seen, by reference to the figure, that the 
worm does not wind in concentric circles, as 
a ball is wound, and as might be supposed 
would be the case ; but the silk is laid on 
irregularly, in a sort of figure 8 loop, placed 
first in one place and then in another, and 
so laid that in reeling several yards of silk 
may be sometimes reeled off without turning 
round the cocoon. 

The reeling of silk from the cocoons re- 
quires considerable skill and practice, but 
still the process can easily be learned from 
a skilled operator. Reeling may be done at 
any season, and is very pretty work for 
young ladies to do at home. Great improve- 
ments have recently been made in reeling 
machines, which are very simple in their 
construction and not costly. 

In proceeding to the operation, the co- 
coons are thrown for a while into a vessel of 
warm water, where the gum, which always 
accompanies silk as it is laid on the cocoon, 
will soften and dissolve. Soft water should 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



always be used. The temperature must be 
a matter of experience, and will vary some- 
what with the different kinds of cocoons and 
different qualities of the silk. The water 
must be kept at an even temperature by 
being placed over a lamp or small coal-oil 
stove. A handful of cocoons is thrown into 




the expectation that anyone will be able to 
reel from the information here given ; but 
only with the view of giving^ the reader a 
general idea of the manner and process of 
reeling. The product of the cocoons, when 
reeled, is known as "raw silk," and its value 



the water, which must be nearly Ijoiling hot, 
and pressed down below the surface by the 
use of a small whisk of broom corn, until 
the gum has softened a little, so as to loosen 
the ends of the filaments. The operator 
then stirs the cocoons about with the whisk 
until the fibers begin to adhere to it (see 
Fig. 7). When a sufficient number have 





been thus collected they should be taken off 
and gathered in the hands, as shown in 
Fig. 8. When a sufficient number have been 
gathered to form a thread, the ends are 
brought together and connected with the 
reel, as in Fig. 9. The number to be thus 
united varies according to the fineness of the 
thread desired. The above is not given with 



depends very much upon the skill and care 
with which the reeling is done. 

The hatching and feeding season may be 
prolonged greatly beyond a single feeding 
season by hatching the worms in succession 
for several weeks. The second hatching 
may be made, say four or six days after the 
first, and so on through a series of six or 
eight, or more, hatchings. The number of 
hatchings must be regulated by the character 
of the feed, for as the leaves become old and 
tough, they are gradually unfitted for mak- 
ing good silk. Hatching may be kept up as 
long as new and tender leaves can be pro- 
cured for feeding the young worms. By this 
method both space and labor may be greatly 
economized in the cocoonery. Where suc- 
cessive hatchings are adopted, the cocoons 
for producing eggs should be selected from 
either the first or second hatching ; and, in 
any hatching, the cocoons that are produced 
by the worms that come out first are much 
preferable to those that appear later. 

The mere raising of cocoons is a very 
simple operation ; but, in order to render it 
profitable, it is necessary that we should find 
a market, either for the eggs or cocoons, or 
for both. We have already, on page 4 
shown that a market may be had for eggs in 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



19 



France and Italy; but, as that may be only 
temporary, it is of great impoitance that we 
should create a home market for cocoons. 
This can be done only by establishing, some- 
where in this vicinity, a reeling factory, or 
filature, as it is generally called. 

The operation of reeling requires both 
skill and capital. The former we have with 
us, to a limited extent, indeed, but all that 
is needed to furnish the necessary instruc- 
tion to any number of needed employees. 
This skill, and the necessary capital to em- 
ploy it, can undoubtedly be made available 
as soon as a supply of cocoons is provided 
to give employment to reelers. The chief 
efforts of the California Silk Culture Asso- 
ciation are being extended in this direction. 
The Society, through *its officers, has dis- 
tributed thousands of circulars of informa- 
tion, and eggs, and mulberry cuttings, to 
those who are willing to undertake the pro- 
duction of cocoons. No attempt has been 
made to stimulate expensive projects ; but 
our farmers and our farmers' wives and 
daughters have been urged to start the busi- 
ness in a small way, to gain experience and 
prove to their own and the satisfaction of 
others that cocoons and raw silk can be pro- 
duced at a profit in California. 

The business is already being initiated in 
nearly half the States of the Union, in no 
one of which are the conditions so favorable 
as in California. 

Herr Liederman, a prominent RIennonite, 
near Newton, Kansas, according to the Chi- 
cago Intcr-Ocean, last season made a practi- 
cal experiment of silk culture on his farm. 
He had surrounded his one thousand acres 
with a hedge of mulberry trees, which last 
year began to produce an abundance of 
leaves. He procured a quantity of eggs and 
raised about three thousand pounds of co- 
coons, at a cost, as reported by the Intef^- 
Ocean, of only about $300. A great number 
of Mennonites who have been engaged in 
the business in Germany have already set 
out mulberry trees, and, within a year or 
two, expect to enter very largely into the 
business of producing silk. 

In New Zealand the business has already 



taken a sure hold as one of the growing in- 
dustries of that enterprising colony. The 
business there was first started through the 
efforts of the ladies, very much in the same 
manner as the ladies are now moving in this 
State. The cost of producing raw silk there 
is set down at an average of about $2.50 per 
pound. 

Mr. L. S. Crosier, manager of a filature 
recently established at Corinth, Miss., offers 
from fifty to seventy-five cents per pound 
for green cocoons, according to quality. 
The cocoons, however, must be produced 
from a particular breed of worms, the eggs 
for which he furnishes, and which he states 
m his circular will produce a cocoon weigh- 
ing from six to eight times as much as the 
ordinary Japanese cocoons. 

Mr. Frank Cheeney, one of the four broth- 
ers largely engaged in silk manufacture at 
South Manchester, Conn., who is now on a 
visit to this State, informs the writer that his 
company is now paying from sixty cents to 
one dollar per pound for pierced cocoons. 
The price varies with the quality. They 
pay seventy-five cents for Japanese waste 
and pierced cocoons. They do not buy per- 
fect cocoons, as they have no filature con- 
nected with their establishment. The prices 
they pay for pierced cocoons would be equal 
to about seventy-five or eighty-five cents for 
a first-class article of green cocoons. 

Prof. C. V. Riley, of the Department of 
Agriculture at Washington, in his recent 
silk culture report, refers to a number of 
parties in various parts of the Union who 
are raising silk worms very successfully^ 
Mr. E. Fashnach, of Raleigh, N. C, has- 
been thus engaged for several years. He 
ships his cocoons to Marseilles, France, 
where he receives an average of $250 per 
pound, net, for dried cocoons — equal to 
seventy-five or eighty cents green. Mr. B. 
A. Webber, of Rockford, 111., shipped forty 
pounds of cocoons to Europe last year. But 
most of our silk growers have prepared to 
ship eggs, for which France paid to the 
United States $27,000 in 1876, which amount 
has been largely increased every year since. 

We understand that Prof. Wilkinson, of 



SILK GROWERS' MANUAL. 



the Deaf and Dumb Institute at Berkeley, 
has signified his willingness to establish a 
filature at that place as soon as he can be 
assured of a sufficient supply of cocoons 
to keep five or six reels at work. It 
is to be hoped that the press of California 
will aid the efforts of the California Silk 
Culture Association in encouraging the es- 
tablishment of silk industry in this State. 
As already advised, let it be done in a small, 
experimental way, until the proper degree 
of experience has been gained and the 
profits of the industry fully assured. Small 
profits are all that should be expected, al- 
though there is good reason to believe that 
when large numbers of our people become 
thoroughly educated to the work and the 
business fairly starts on a small scale, larger 
ventures may be entered upon with good 
success and profits. 

Professor Riley, in a recent communica- 
tion to the Scientific Atnerican on "Silk 
Culture in the United States," writes, in re- 
gard to the labor question involved, as fol- 
lows : 

"The greater value of labor here, as com- 
pared with labor in the older silk-growing 
countries, has been in the past a most seri- 
ous obstacle to sericulture in the United 
States, but conditions exist to-day that 
render this obstacle by no means insuper- 
able. In the first place, comparative prices, 
as so often quoted, are misleading. The 
girl who makes only twenty or thirty cents a 



day in France or Italy does as well, because 
of the relatively lower price of all other com- 
modities there, as she who earns three or 
four times as much here. Again, the condi- 
tions of life are such in those countries that 
every woman among the agricultural classes, 
not absolutely necessary in the household, 
finds a profitable avenue for her labor in 
field or factory, so that the time given to silk 
raising must be deducted from other profit- 
able work in which she may be employed. 
With us, on the contrary, there are thou- 
sands — aye, hundreds of thousands of women 
who, from our very conditions of life, 
are unable to labor in the field or factory, and 
have, in short, no means outside of house- 
hold duties of converting labor into capital. 
The time that such might give to silk culture 
would, therefore, be pure gain, and, in this 
sense, the cheap labor argument loses 
nearly all its force. This holds more par- 
ticularly true in the larger portions of the 
South and West that are least adapted to 
dairy products, or where bee-keeping and 
poultry-raising are usually confined to the 
immediate wants of the household. In the 
early part of the century the females in most 
households, even of the well-to-do, found 
profitable employment in the spinning wheel 
and the distaff. With modern improved 
appliances and the general introduction of 
machinery the average American girl is too 
often doomed to idleness or else forced to 
leave her home to add to the family income.' 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Any information concerning silk culture may be obtained by addressing Mrs. T. Lucas, 
President of the Womans' Silk Culture Association of the United States, No. 1028 Race 
street, Philadelphia, Penn.; Mrs. John B. Felton, President of the California Silk Culture 
Association, No. 930 Adeline street, Oakland, Cal.; Mrs. T. H. Hittell, No. 808 Turk 
street, San Francisco. Cal., the Corresponding Secretary of the California Silk Culture 
Association ; or the compiler of these pages, Mr. W. B. Ewer, of the Pacific Rural Press 
San Francisco, Cal. 



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